Sing me to Heaven

Jul. 23, 2008 - Every Good Book

My dad has published another website! He's been working on this for quite a while. The new site is specifically to help choose and find the best books possible. Over 700 books are included now - there are about 400 more that Daddy and I are working to categorize. Stop by when you get a chance...

http://www.everygoodbook.com/

Here's the basic idea from the site's front page:

The reader's dilemma - so many great books to read! As a book-loving homeschool family, we've collected dozens of reading lists over the years, literally thousands of recommendations. We used these to find great books for a certain reading level, historical period, or type such as fiction, biography, etc. We found some books on almost everyone's "Classics" list, and many more on multiple lists, giving us a sense of each book's importance. We'd look online to find which were in-print and affordable, and so on... A rewarding, yet difficult process of categorizing, prioritizing, searching - just the things a website can do so well.

EveryGoodBook finds just the right book - new or old for homeschool, classical education, and personal enrichment. Search and sort through hundreds of possible books according to any combination of reading level, type, historical period, or rank

This website makes it easy to find good literature! Come check it out!
My dad also has his personal site, which may interest you: www.everygoodpath.net.

~Grace

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Jul. 18, 2008 - The Homeschool tag

I was tagged by Narniagirl! Observe:

The Infamous 'Homeschool' Tag:

- How long have you homeschooled? All my life

- What grade did you start homeschooling? From the moment I was born… every day is a learning experience to me!

- What grade are you in now? I'll be a Sophomore! In high school, of course.

- How old were you when you started? 0 years old

- Do you like homeschooling? Of course! I have more freedom, more possibilities, and my dad is the best teacher in the world, in my opinion! ;-)

- Have you ever gone to school? No, not at all.

- How long did you go to school? Haven’t gone

- Do you intend to home school your kids when you grow up? Absolutely! It is the best environment for them to grow in.

- What are two things that you like about homeschooling? The flexibility I have regarding which subjects I spend the most time and effort on, and spending more time with my family. We all learn together!

- Do you totally go against public schools? I believe that homeschooling is the biblical path, but I don’t think we should look down on people who put their children in public school. I know that God can use it for His glory. However, I do not support public schooling, and I would strongly suggest homeschooling to anyone.

- Do you have friends who are not homeschoolers? Well, not really. All the activities I'm part of are for homeschoolers, and my church is comprised of homeschooling families! I have public schooled acquaintances, but my closest friends are homeschoolers.

- Is it hard to get along with public school friends? When we associate, it's not really hard.

- What is the first thing other people say when they find out that you homeschool? Well, sometimes they just make general comments like "Oh that's neat!" or "Cool!" Occasionally someone will ask me more about it, like what my favorite thing about it is. It depends on the person, place, and setting!

- Who are you going to tag? Anyone who likes to eat watermelon with salt

Another post coming soon! Hopefully before the week is up!

Until then, I remain ever your very busy friend,

Grace

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Jul. 9, 2008 - So much to do, so little time left in the summer...

So sorry about the rather long time that has elapsed between posts. Our house has been hectic and messy this past couple of weeks! We've been organizing our many photos and putting them in albums and frames. It really needed to be done, as all those pictures have been lying stacked in a cabinet for years!

My sisters and I have also been catching up on our scrapbooking. I was behind by nearly a year, so it was quite a challenge! It was fun, though: I always love scrapboking! I've finally finished now, so maybe I'll have a little more computer time.

Anyways, thanks for being patient!

~Grace

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Jun. 24, 2008 - "You may find Narnia a more savage place than you remember..."

Twice, in fact, hence the two banners. So now you get to hear me talk about it!

I know this is terribly late. All the rest of you over-achievers are over and done with PC. But I've had a couple requests for my review on the movie, so for anyone who wishes to read my opinion... have at it.

Before listing the pros and cons, my overall opinion of the movie is very positive. I think they did a good job capturing the tension of the story, the personality of many characters, (some more than others), and the beauty of Narnia. I am a total purist when it comes to this series, and it took me FOREVER to get used to the idea that they were going to stray from the storyline and not quote the lines exactly!!! *gasp* However, over time I became resigned to the bitter facts. And I have to say that when we went to see the movie, I was relieved by what I saw. I was able to look at it more as a stand-alone movie, than as another adaptation of the book. And I actually liked some of the changes that were made! But I'd still recommend that everyone read the books first, because they are amazing.

Now for the dreaded part of the review that calls for analyzing the movie and peeling it apart piece by piece. Seven pros and seven cons, like the books! See, it's... oh... never mind.

Selected Pros: (these are not in any particular order, because I couldn't decide on how to class them)

(1.) I really liked Queen Prunaprismia. She was quite different from her role in the book, but she charmed me. She was harsh enough to be a Telmarine queen, yet likable. I loved her hairdress when she and Miraz come out on the balcony after he was coronated. It was sparkly!

(2.) The castle raid scene was very well done, and was excellent for pulling you into the emotion of the story. It was just so tense and exciting, with the griffins soaring in, and the mice pattering through the castle, and the flashlight signaling, and everything. But it was SO sad when so many Narnians were trapped inside the courtyard at the end. Peter's reaction was nothing less than satisfying.

(3.) The baby centaur. Enough said.

(4.) The battle at the end, when the Narnians collapsed the ground under the Telmarine cavalry! *cheers* I wonder whose idea it was..?

(5.) Reepicheep was awesome! He was quite perfect, though the voice left something to be desired. I loved all his lines, and his fancy swordplay. Definitely an improvement on the BBC!

(6.) Edmund and Lucy's characters were very well developed, and both actor and actress did a fantastic job. Edmund was charmingly brief, all his lines were great! And Lucy kept her innocent nature, always looking for Aslan. Something the movie directors should have taken into account and played up more.

(7.) Aslan. Whenever they did put him in, he was wonderful. His eyes were so velvety... The story should have focused more on his power, but that goes in the cons.

Selected Cons:

(1.) So yes. Aslan was played down so much that I cannot pass it by. In the movie(s), he seems to be regarded as 'that one good guy', rather than the highest of all high kings. He has one line in PC, when Lucy asks him about what would have happened: "We can never know what would have happened." Which, in the context of the books, is not true. Aslan knew. He just didn't tell others when they had no business asking. "Stay in your own story," he commands. But in the movies, he seems to be just another game piece in the hand of fate. This is the most blatant flaw in the movies, and I lament the loss of the Aslan I know. Everything you know has certainly changed....

(2.) Susan and Caspian. Ick, bleh, disgusting. Why can't people realize that back then, girls and guys didn't think like they do now in our culture?? Nick's point was very valid: C.S.Lewis didn't describe the characters with enough detail for Walden Media, so they interpreted them themselves. And they supposed they would be attracted to one another. Well, maybe they would have been, but they wouldn't have shown it so obviously... Ugh.

(3.) Susan's not my favorite character in these movies as it is, but it was made worse by her fighting in the main conflict. She's Susan the Gentle in print, but a warrior princess on screen... rather inconsistent. I wish they had followed Lewis' description of her, instead of turning her into a totally different person. I like her just fine when she's with the archers, but it's a bit much when she's down there among all the men, flinging arrows into Telmarines, and dodging their swords.

(4.) I didn't like the drawings on the walls of Aslan's How. They were too primative, and I think Old Narnians would have been able to draw better than that. Sorry, that was rather random.

(5.) Miraz's castle looked too fake. Inside, it was fine. But from a distance, it sort of resembled cardboard!

(6.) Was anyone else bothered by the contemporary song that started playing as they were all saying goodbye? The song is OK by itself; it actually goes pretty well with the movie, but the contemp beat should be saved for the credits, in my opinion.

(7.) One last thing: I could not for the life of me figure out who that one older guy was who came forward at the end with his arm around Queen Prunaprismia. Does anyone know? That was just bothering me.

So overall, it's a movie worth watching. I just wonder what C.S.Lewis would have thought...

Further up and further in!

~Grace

All graphics from SpareOom.net

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Jun. 14, 2008 - Of awards and announcements

I've been graciously awarded by QueenFlora! Here is the all-new Beautiful Thoughts award:

I'd like to give this award to (aww, so many of my friends have been awarded already....):

AuthorElf

LittleSparrow

fiddlesticks

All or some of you may have recieved this award already, but if so... consider yourself awarded twice! ;-)

~~~~

Now, I have an announcement! *fumbles in pocket* 4 months is far too short a time to spend among such excellent and admirable... bloggers. I don't know half of you as well as I should like, and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve. But I regret to announce that - I am going now. Goodbye.

*chuckles to self*

Oh, alright, I relent. I shall only be absent for the extent of a week. The fact is, I'm going out of town to visit family, and I'll be returning very soon. Sorry for the -ahem- false alarm. :-0

This is Grace, signing -and singing- off.

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Jun. 5, 2008 - Another excerpt

Well, I'm finally getting the next part of my writing up! Sorry it's taken so long. This is continued from the last section. To refresh your memory, here's the last paragraph:

Never slowing, they sped through the pass- into the mountains. Disconcerted, Abigail was a stranger to adventures of any sort, and she looked back to catch a fleeting glimpse of her valley, her home, and wondered if she would ever see it again. She clung, trembling, to the mane of the horse, though indeed, she seemed in no danger of falling, so firmly did Ablier support her. On and on they raced, giving Abigail only blurred glances of the beauty of the mountains she had always longed to see. Towering waterfalls they passed, plunged through luscious green undergrowth, galloped across cliffs of a dizzying height. Ever farther they traveled. Yet still the sun glowed on the brink of the horizon. It was to defy time, to ride the pure white stallion. When the sun did set, it was not at all gradual, and then they continued their journey in darkness. The young horseman knew this land well, or his horse did. Abigail began to wonder when, if ever, they would stop.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dashing around the corner of a sheer cliff, they found themselves in a sheltered glade, shrouded with the overhanging boughs of evergreen trees. Ablier pulled up his horse, skidding to a sudden stop. He swung one leg over and vaulted off with an energy surprising to Abigail, who felt ready to collapse with weariness. But Ablier saved her from such an awkward demise by reaching up and lifting her down. Seeing her firmly set on her feet, he turned back to the stallion, unbuckling the saddle and bridle, and preparing to rub him down. Abigail stood hesitantly, not knowing what to do. Ablier gave all his attention to his horse. But at last he looked back. Seeing Abigail still standing, he said, with the air of an accomplished mentor,
     "Better get some rest, lady. You have a journey ahead of you." Abigail looked at him in confusion.
     "Ahead of me... I'm going by myself?" She didn't relish the idea. But he silenced her fears when he replied,
     "No, of course I'm coming. My orders were to bring you. But it won't feel like a journey to me. It won't weary me like it will you." He looked slightly amused at her confused countenance. "Surely you understand. It's always easy to go home."
    Abigail's eyes widened at this declaration. Ablier surely bore a great love for his country. And pride. She wondered if all Lorfinian men's cheekbones were as high as his, or if their chests swelled so much at every mention of their land. But she sighed and replied,
     "I will rest, then." And at a nod from him, she retreated to a leafy nook at the edge of the glade, at the base of one of the great trees. Exhausted, she sank to the ground and gave herself up to slumber, little wondering or caring about her surroundings.

~~~

    The high-pitched trilling of a bird woke her at last, and she grudgingly opened her eyes. Early dawn was pouring in through the treetops, dust specks shimmering in its rays. Abigail blinked and raised herself on her elbows, trying not to yawn. But the events of the previous day swirled into her head, waking her completely. There was no sign of Ablier in the clearing. Feeling refreshed and adventurous once more, the maiden rose at last. She glanced rapidly over the glen, and noticed for the first time a bubbling spring at the base of the cliff. She turned towards it, but was forced to move slowly, her muscles aching painfully from yesterday's ride. Splashing water onto her face, she tried not to think of the pain in her limbs, or the awkwardness of the entire journey. She said a silent prayer for her family back home, and also for her father, for it was her habit to pray every day for his safe return.
    She was trying to brush the dust off her skirts when when Ablier returned, his thick hair slicked down wet on his forehead. He nodded politely to her.
    "I trust you rested well?" he queried. In the fresh light of morning, and now that he was no longer towering above her on his horse, framed in dazzling sunlight, Abigail found she could look at him and answer without shrinking.
    "Very well, thank you, sir," she replied with a nod. All the same, she felt she'd better be as polite as possible. She ventured a question. "Will we ride more today?"
    "Yes, my orders were that you should be brought with all speed," he replied over his shoulder as he reached for the saddle. Abigail heaved a silent sigh, wishing he would stop talking so much about his orders. But she straightened hastily as Ablier turned back around. He paused, and looked her over; weighing the strength that was stored within her. His eyes saw only a young girl, her fair face open and trusting; her eyes betraying that she was overly conscious of her dusty dress and the long hair that was tossed askew at the mercy of the wind. She was a head and a half shorter than he, and looked altogether devoid of that strength that is so necessary to living in a foreign land. Yet her eyes were full of life and their green depths glimmered. She held her chin high, too, and returned his gaze steadily. Yes, she had courage. And it would serve her well... if she knew how to use it.
    "You are tired?" he stated knowingly. Abigail felt as if he had read her mind. He certainly had been sizing her up for something: she didn't know what.
    "A little. We- we don't ride horses much in my country," she answered reluctantly. She didn't mention that horses were seldom to found in the valley, because most of them had been ridden off to the Turbulent Wars, mounted by warriors brave and strong. Some of whom had never returned. Her father was one of these. Ablier interrupted her thoughts with his reply.
    "Well, you must learn to like them. They are of great value in Lorfinia. One will be trained for your use." Ablier fumbled through the saddle bags. Abigail groaned mentally, scarcely wishing to subject her body to another day of bruises. She chose to change the subject.
    "How far is Lorfinia?" She bit her lip, fearing the answer. He did not answer right away, but offered her a small package, which, upon opening it, she found to contain some kind of bread. Suddenly she discovered that she was terribly hungry, and lost no time in availing herself of the contents, with thanks. After producing his own portion, Ablier returned to their conversation.
    "If we ride hard, it will take two days. Do you feel up to such a journey?" Abigail relaxed somewhat. It was not as bad as she had feared.
    "I think so," she replied shortly. Although two more days of riding would be difficult, she felt she would like to end this awkward journey as soon as possible. Ablier nodded approvingly and picked up the saddle. The stallion whinnied eagerly as he approached, ready to set off. Abigail finished the last of her breakfast and rose from the rock she had adopted as a chair. Watching horse and horseman, she marveled at the way they worked together, Ablier murmuring in his stallion's ear as he adjusted the saddle, and the horse bending his head and turning at Ablier's soft commands.
    "What's his name?" she asked as she watched.
    "Ahern. It means 'lord of horses.'"
    Abigail looked thoughtfully at his back. She wished he would talk more openly. He seemed very guarded and cautious, choosing his words carefully. Indeed, he had shown little emotion of any sort, except loyalty, since they had 'met'. Abigail couldn't understand him. But she had no more time to watch him and ponder, for he fastened the last strap on the bridle and turned around.
    "Ready?" he raised his eyebrows in question. Abigail nodded and came up beside him. He looked down at her.
    "Do you think you can sit behind and hang on?"
    "Yes, probably."
    "Good. It's the right way. I held you in front last night so you could get used to riding without being in danger of falling." He leapt into the saddle and reached down. Steeling herself, she grasped his hand and tried to leap up as gracefully as he. It was not successful, though, and she ended up half in the saddle and half out. She winced as she shifted herself into the upright position and tried to straighten her skirts. Ablier held the horse still as she made herself comfortable.
    "Sorry..." she muttered with a blush.
    "Don't worry. The instructors in Lorfinia will help you become proficient," he replied soberly. But Abigail detected an amused edge to his voice. She blushed deeper and determined to learn how to mount properly.
    "Ready?" he asked once more.
    "Yes," she replied confidently. At least she tried to make it sound confident.
    Ablier turned his horse back onto the path. There he paused for a moment, surveying the sky and surroundings. In the early morning light the mountains shone with magnificence all around them. With a glance back at Abigail, he spoke to his stallion, and they thundered down the trail, into the morning.

A bit hastily written, but I hope it's passable!

~~~

Oh, the Apronista is hosting another fun giveaway! www.apronista.com

~Grace

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May. 26, 2008 - Mexico: A Mission Trip Adventure

I'm back! From the depths of a foreign country, from Morelia, Mexico, I have returned! Oh, it was SO amazing!!! What a true adventure! I had never been out of the States before, and found it to be wonderfully exciting, absolutely exhausting, and a bit suspenseful at times! In some ways it was just as I had expected. In other ways it was nothing like the picture I had imagined! I have to admit I had not expected it to be so exquisitely beautiful! And I had underestimated the amount of work we'd be doing! My legs were so sore every night when I got in bed at 1am! Too much volleyball, I guess! Just kidding, we really were very busy. We were in Morelia for 5 days, and were in town for our puppet/drama presentation 4 of those days. We also passed out a lot of bi-lingual tracts around Morelia and the surrounding cities. It was great! Every aspect of the trip was so fun and educational. I learned a lot of Spanish, believe me. ;-)

Now, rather than give you a boring long outline of the entire trip, I'll just list 10 of my favorite highlights:

(1.) The Norris family. These are the missionaries we went to support. It was so wonderful to meet them! They are so fun and flexible and easy to talk to. And all of them, from the parents to their 6 year old daughter, have such a heart for missions and reaching out to the lost. They're an amazing family. Here's a picture of them, with me in the middle!

(2.) The language barrier. It was totally confusing, but so fascinating! I loved to listen to Spanish conversations, just to see how much I could recognize. I tried to converse sometimes, but eventually I'd have to call in someone to translate!

(3.) Passing out tracts. In Mexico, people will actually read what you give them, rather than just throw it out. Mr. Norris said that the fact that the tracts are in English and Spanish causes people to be more interested, since they all want to learn English. So it was fun to walk through one area handing them out, and then pass back through later to see people still reading! Here's Josh L. doing his favorite thing! He loved passing out tracts more than anyone, I think!

(4.) Games with friends. What can I say? It was just a lot of fun. On the nights when we got back before midnight, we'd play volleyball until then. I am no good at the game, but it's fun to play with friends. There was also a reeeally long zipline at the camp. Here I am, trusting my health and well-being to the strength of the wooden seat, the thickness of the rope, and the people at the end who grab you before you slam into the cement pole.

(5.) Inside jokes and nicknames. And there were a lot. I'm sure you all know what it's like when you stick a bunch of good friends together for 9 days!

(6.) Eating an avocado popsicle. It was real avocado! And it was really good!

(7.) Cheering when the 15 passenger vans made it safely out of the tiny parking garages.

(8.) The trees in the cities which are painted white on the bottom. Supposedly for bugs. It looks really funny!

(9.) The authentic Mexican food! One night we all had dinner at a native couple's house, and they made us tacos. Real tacos. Mmmm... Here are some of us enjoying them. On the stairs, that's my sister Emily, Andrew L., and John Mark Norris (who kept dripping Coke on my head!) And in the chairs, from the left, that's Michael L., me, and Sam L. Sorry about the strange face I'm making. I was probably talking.

(10.) This amazing view from right outside our cabin! This is me, Sarah T., and Christi V. It was like 60 degrees in the morning, so we had jackets on. Wonderful, especially compared to the sweltering air here in Texas!

Well, those are just a few specific things, but I have more pictures to show you! These stairs were so cool! We did a presentation outside of this home one night, and the stairs are made out of concrete, with no support beams or anything! As you can tell, I was very fascinated by them. ;-) At the top, that's Andrew L. and Emily. And Noah L. is near the bottom.

Here are a couple puppet show snapshots. This one is from the practice round! Before the curtains were put up!

And this is a crazy picture. I just thought you might enjoy it! ;-) That's Daniel Norris, Brittany N., and me goofing off.

Pull-up contest! Or maybe it was a contest to see which could hold on the longest. That's Joseph N. and Josiah Norris.

This is my dad with Emily and I. We were in a sort of tropical forest.

Group picture! Actually, this is only about half of us. The moms stayed home that day. Oh, well. I think we have a real group picture somewhere.

So the moral of the story is, we had a fabulous time. Reaching out to the people there, strengthening our own hearts, enjoying each others' company as we lived, laughed, played, cried, and loved together. We made memories to last a lifetime, and most importantly we planted the seed of the gospel in many hearts. I pray that those influenced would accept the truth and begin their own journey with Christ. Life is truly an adventure when He is the Leader. I can't wait for the trip next year! Gracias for all your prayers and well-wishes!

Hasta Luego!

~Grace

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May. 14, 2008 - Another multi-tasking post

Well, first of all I have to break to you that the next chapter is not finished. *sigh* I hope you don't forget what happened first... I am writing, really I am, but I must get it edited before I post it, because I don't want you to have to read something thrown together. I'm terribly sorry!

Aaaaaand, WE are going to MEXICO this week! I'm so excited, since I've never been out of the country before. Plus, we get to go with our church friends! We'll be there 9 days, doing outreach for the most part. I'd appreciate your prayers for safety, and open hearts for the people who hear our message. Anyhoo, I'll have no computer access for that time, but I'll be sure to tell you all about it when I get back! Hopefully with pictures!

~~~

I've been awarded the Blog Friend Forever Award by Renee and Hriste! Thank you!

I'll award it to.....

Rosethorn and CherrytheXIV!

~~~

Aaaaaaand I'm entering a contest hosted by The HSB Backyard. It's to win one of these neat T-shirts from The Homeschool Boutique!

Pretty fun, huh?

~~~

In order to give this post a bit more flair, I shall show you some pictures from this past week. My choir had a concert at the capitol on Friday, here we are in our full black-and-white glory! Actually, not quite so full, as we were missing several people.

Oh, here's my adorable baby brother! Isn't he precious?

After the concert, a picnic on the lawn was in order! It was actually a farewell party for our dear friends who are moving to Washington State! *cries* I'm going to miss y'all! This is dear Sarah, with Josie in the background, wearing the blue polo:

And Mellie, framed in foliage:

And these are my friends Kristin, Josie (again ;-), and myself performing an ensemble. We sang Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy by the Andrews sisters. It was an absolute hit! Boy, did we ever have an awesome time! You can see the Andrews sisters doing it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-wiVkdVPGoY

So that's some of what's been going on with my busy choir life! Not a dull moment! I hope I can figure out how to post recordings of myself... then you can hear my latest solo!

Signing out- or singing out-

~Grace

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May. 6, 2008 - Blogkeeping

I have some blogkeeping to do! Whew, you guys keep me busy! Not that I don't enjoy your attention, of course... ;-)

First of all- I have now exceeded the impressive number of 200 comments! Wow, you all amaze me! Just for the record, my 50th comment was posted by Curufinwe, my 100th comment was by Renee (crochetcrazy), and my 200th was written by Breezy of TheDrawingBlog! Thank you, my friends!!!

And now... I was awarded twice by Booklover.Thank you, sweet Amy!

I shall give this all-new Gold Star Blog Award to.....(drumroll, please)

And of course, I must return it to Amy!

I tried to give this to people I haven't awarded before. All my friends deserve it!

And this goes to....

fiddlesticks

2earringplusgirls

*Applause, Applause*

~~~~

Now for a tag from Kantare:

You are supposed to take the nearest book that has a least 200 pages... go to the 78th page... the 5th line.. and write the following 3 lines

Here goes!

Ummm... what if the nearest book is a hymnal?? How about the second nearest book. Or... the third nearest. What if they're all the same distance away? I'll just close my eyes and pick......

Oh, Beowolf.

pèah pe ne meahte on mere drìfan hringed-stephnan; holm storme wèol, won wiò winde; winter ýpe bèleac

*cannot restrain laughter*

EDIT: Rats, I forgot to tag people AGAIN! I tag.... everyone who's favorite color is gold.

~~~

Also, I'm entering a scrapbook giveaway hosted by Growing in Grace. I encourage you to visit their site!

~~~

You are probably all expecting another story excerpt about now. I wish I had something decent to give you! So sorry I couldn't get it up in time, I'll try to post it soon! In the meantime, I'll give you a heads up and let you know that my life is not my own for these next 2 weeks! That's right, I belong to my choir. *sigh* We have lots of concerts coming up, so things will be very hectic around here for a while. It's all fun, but it's also rather overwhelming! Hopefully I will be able to reply to all your comments without much delay! Thank you all for your patience! ;-)

Til next we meet!

~Grace

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Apr. 29, 2008 - In watching the storm

~Journal entry from April 25, 2008~

I stayed up and watched a storm roll in this evening. When I stepped outside, I immediately was caught up in the expectant thrill that trembled in the sweltering air. Lightning lit up the sky to the North, illuminating the night with its flash. Thunder rumbled in the distance; far away it seemed, yet every moment it grew nearer. Like a symphony, the thunderstorm was gathering power, approaching the climax. Wind whipped through the trees, tangling their branches and wrenching them apart once more. The first few drops of rain were hurled upon the earth at the mercy of the ruthless wind. Soon they grew in size and number, and the lightning flashed forebodingly nearer, while the thunder was increased to a drumroll. Loath to go inside, I stayed until the wind threatened to pound the rain mercilessly into my face, though I stood under the eaves. Indoors, the volume was less, but still exciting. As the storm broke in its full force, releasing the storehouses of the clouds and filling the sky with brightness, I thought of the word 'awesome'. Awesome surely best describes this wonder of God's nature, yet how we abuse this word in our culture! Watching this storm gave me a sense of the true meaning, and I was filled with awe at the omnipotence of its Creator.
Turning back to the storm, I fixed my eyes on the heavens and anticipated the delightful shiver brought by each lightning flash. It illuminated a blue, mystical world, hazy and shadowed, with the rain falling in sheets and obscuring familiar landmarks. Hail was mingled with the rain, and added further to the magnificent volume. The thunder continued to rumble, seldom releasing its full potential, but threatening all the same. When it did crack, everything else, wind, rain, and hail, seemed to hush for a moment, intimidated, and then resume louder than before.
Now there is a quiet lull, yet it is just as beautiful. It is as if it was a movement in a symphony, written for effect. Don't we wish our human composers could dream up something even close to being as wonderful! But nothing can equal God as a Master Musician, God as an artist, God as an author. We try and we fail. But, ever gracious, He is always there, revealing His glorious works of art just when we need to see them. And in seeing them, we see Him. For He is ever present in creation, in history, in our lives.

This made me think of some amazing verses from Job. I love that book, it is so encouraging and it makes me feel very small and insignificant. (Which I need sometimes!)

~~~~~~~~

"Have you entered the storehouses of the snow, or have you seen the storehouses of the hail, which I have reserved for the time of trouble, for the day of battle and war?
What is the way to the place where the light is distributed, or where the east wind is scattered upon the earth?"

"Who has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain and a way for the thunder bolt, to bring rain on the land where no man is, on the desert in which there is no man, to satisfy the waste and desolate land, and to make the ground sprout with grass?"

"Has the rain a father, or who has begotten the drops of dew? From whose womb did the ice come forth, and who has given birth to the frost of heaven?
The waters become hard like stone, and the face of the deep is frozen."

"Can you lift up your voice to the clouds, that a flood may cover you?
Can you send forth lightnings, that they may go, and say to you, 'Here we are'?

Who has put wisdom in the inward parts or given understanding to the mind?
Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can tilt the waterskins of the heavens, when the dust runs into a mass and the clods stick together?"

"Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty? He who argues with God, let him answer it."

Excerpts from Job 38.

Amazing, isn't it? That the God who is the Lord of the storm, of the heavens, of the earth, of all creation, all that is seen and all that is invisible; that He should stoop to raise me up with His right hand! That He should consent, should invite me to serve Him, to be His forever! I will never understand. It is altogether beyond my power to comprehend. I can only worship Him with my whole heart, and offer up to Him the only thing which I have to give: myself.

My dad has a really exceptional post on his website that relates to this in a way. I encourage you to go read it!

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A note... I have not abandoned the story, just so you know. Look for more in my next post!

So long, farewell,

~Grace

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Apr. 22, 2008 - Banquets and Beginnings

Look! I'm finally posting!

A few weeks ago my church held our third annual Father/Daughter Banquet! Almost every family in our church has daughters! It sounds like it would have been pretty crowded, but due to the small size of our church, that really was not the case. It was a very enjoyable evening, complete with a candle-lit dinner, and a hilarious tie-tying contest! It wouldn't seem like those would go together, but they did, wonderfully! I'll just share a couple of pictures with you all.

From the left, these are my sisters Anna and Emily. And that's me, looking off into the distance...

Here are some of us girls singing. Singing a song, no less! It's called Be an Example. It was a sort of a charge from the older girls to the younger girls, to encourage them to be examples to those younger than they. I love singing in groups, so it was great to be able to do this. We'll have to make it a tradition!

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Right, so here's the beginning of the story from my last post. I'm still working on it. Catchy beginnings are always a challenge for me. So, even though I'm trying to work out something passable, I'll let you read this. The title to this story is nonexistent, so far. I don't even know if I'll finish it, so I've not even thought of what to call it!

     Once there was a quaint little town in the valley of a far away land. It was a small community to our standards, but for the inhabitants it held every necessity for a full and happy life. In a vine-swathed cottage at the edge of the village there lived a young girl, of about 16 years, with her Mother and younger brother. Her father had gone away to fight in the Turbulent Wars, and no word of him had reached his family for 2 long years. The townsfolk had given him up for lost, but his daughter, Abigail, held on to her faith that he was alive and would return to them someday. Thus, she kept her mother's hope alive, and her brother's memory aflame with tales of his noble father, and Forrest, though young, determined to support his family, that his father might be proud of him on his returning.
     This plain brown cottage, with its latticed windows and clinging vines was all Abigail had ever known. She had walked the path to the town so many times that she was sure she could do it in her sleep. Assuredly, she loved the simple life which she now led, but at intervals, a strange longing came over her, and she would gaze over the blue, misty hills, and wonder what lay beyond. This feeling, which she had experienced form an early age, mystified her, for none of her family, or her friends, seemed to ever wish for anything more. Indeed, when she mentioned it to her childhood friend Lily, Lily had appeared confused and unsure of what to say. Abigail had quickly changed the subject, but since that day, she had lived with the knowledge that she was different from others. A subtle difference, perhaps, but she knew in her heart that she would never be absolutely content to settle down until she had found whatever she longed for.
      These were Abigail's thoughts as she meandered through a familiar glade, shady and green, with sunrays kissing the earth wherever the boughs of the trees parted and allowed it to fall. All was quiet and calm, resting in the afternoon sun. Suddenly she heard a noise, not a loud noise, but it contrasted strangely with the peace of that place. She whirled around, startled. There, struggling out of the bracken, was a small dog, with an uncommonly intelligent face. Upon seeing her it approached in a few delicate strides and fixed its eyes upon her. Abigail returned its gaze quizzically, wondering what it wanted with her. It obviously wanted something, for it rose from its sitting position and stepped backwards, all the while keeping its gaze fixed on her face.
      "It wants me to follow it." Suddenly the idea occured to Abigail. The dog whined softly, imploring her with its eyes. "How strange. But what have I to lose?" Her face brightened and she stepped towards the dog. Instantly it ran ahead a few more paces, then stopped to look at her. Side-stepping over a fallen rowan bough, she followed it, up a gently sloping hillside, into a forest of dark pines. She no longer recognized this part of the forest with its deep brown floor of pine needles and shaded hollows as belonging to her familiar neighborhood. She thought about returning, but could not quite bring herself to turn around. The tall trees around her were not familiar, but she found fascination in that very difference. She was not expected back until dinner. So she continued following her guide. It was acting rather strangely; not like the elderly, placid dogs she had grown accustumed to. It eagerly led her on, glancing behind at intervals, then gracefully striding ahead.
     "A spaniel it is. Or, no, a terrier. Or a collie." None of the breeds Abigail thought of seemed to fit. It was more purposeful, more graceful, more... everything. It led her with authority, yet with a kind of respect. It also set a very fast pace. Abigail's footfalls padded silently on the soft, carpeted floor of the forest.
"Everything is so quiet here." Even her thoughts seemed to disturb the silence.
     "Wait," she panted breathlessly, and was startled at the ring of her own voice in this soundless, green world. The dog stopped where it stood and turned to look back at her. "I, I can't follow you much farther. I have to be back for dinner soon." Abigail felt rather silly addressing an animal in that way, as if it could understand. Maybe it did. It looked at her as if it did. But it gave a slow, persistent whine, and stepped backwards a few paces.
     "Oh..." she hesitated. Where could it be taking her? She did need to be back soon, but maybe it wouldn't matter too much if she was a little late... "Only a little farther, then. Then I really have to go back," she relented. She followed, and was surprised to find that after a few short minutes had passed, the forest opened up, and the gray foothills rose up from where she stood to meet the mountains.
      Staring open-mouthed, she had no idea she had come so far. With the mountains looming forebodingly over her, her adventuresome spirit retreated, leaving her nervous and wondering how she could possibly get back in time. Already the sun was bathing the slopes in a delicious red-golden glow. Soon it would sink altogether, and she would be alone in the middle of that great, silent forest with no definite trail to follow to return home. The dog had stopped and sat by her feet as if waiting.
      Fighting to keep tears back, Abigail looked fearfully from the mountains to the forest, and then down at her guide. It returned her gaze reassuringly. Its large, velvet eyes comforted her. At the same time, she couldn't repress a feeling of betrayal. Why had it brought her to this forsaken place? There was nothing here to see.

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One more thing... I know, I could do several posts throughout the week to cover everything, but this is simpler, to take care of it all in one weekly post. Sorry!

I was awarded the Helpful award by Uruviel! She made this award herself- isn't it lovely! I'd like to pass it on to just one person: melarooski. I know you're probably too busy to do anything with this now, but I had to give it to you, my helpful friend. After all, you introduced me to HSB!

Well, now I have 3 posts in one, and I wish I could post this in more than one catagory! It needs to go in Goings on, Writing, and Tags and Awards!

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Apronista is hosting a lovely apron giveaway! Go see their beautiful products here.

Further up and further in!

~Grace

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Apr. 14, 2008 - Some of my writing (finally)

Here is some of my writing for your enjoyment and scrutiny! This is a part of something I wrote last week; it was too long to post it all. If any of you wish to read the beginning, I'd be happy to post it in some later entry. This is an example of my usual style of writing: to begin in the middle of a plot, and leave you hanging at the end! I rarely finish my story ideas because I have far too many! We'll see if I ever write more of this- only time will tell! I'd love to hear your input on this, all you HSB authors! And non-authors, too!

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Her mind in a frenzy, she contemplated her choices. Night was falling fast, and to go on was unthinkable. The dog still waited at her feet- waiting for what? Not for her, it seemed, for it gazed unflinchingly Northward. Abigail made up her mind to go back. Even if she didn't make it before dark, she would at least be closer if search parties were sent out. Once firmly set in her decision, she turned on her heel abruptly, and started back down the path- back home. At that moment, the dog leapt to its feet and gave a sharp bark, its body quivering with expectation. Assuming the dog meant to call her back, Abigail resolved not to listen to it, and took another step. But she went no farther, for at that moment a dazzling horseman clad in red, his cloak billowing round him, appeared on the brink of the nearest hill. Never had Abigail seen anything so grand and majestic as the proud young man on the white stallion, silhoutted against the sunset. The sight froze her where she stood. For what seemed like an eternity- and yet a brief moment- neither moved. Then all of a sudden the young man spurred on his mount and came thundering down. Never once did he check his pace, never faltered as he raced towards her; all the winds of the four corners of the world could not have challenged his speed. Terror and wonder fell upon Abigail, and instinctively she put up her hands in a vain effort to guard her face. But when he was almost upon her, the horseman suddenly checked his advance. Motionless, horse and rider towered above her. When the dust had settled he spoke. His urgent, commanding voice rang off the hillsides.
      "Greetings, lady Abigail. I am sent by the true king of the realm of Lorfinia. He bid me make all speed to bring to his presence a certain maiden native to this land. He said I should find her here, guided by Silvren. Thus, maiden, I must ask you to come with me. Or, if you refuse, I am bound by my honor to respectfully carry you across the mountains by force. Much speed is necessary, and there is no time for lengthy consideration. Will you come willingly to the realm of Lorfinia? I cannot promise you much comfort, but I believe you will not be unhappy." This said, the rider looked intently down into Abigail's wondering face. Bewildered, she tried to organize her thoughts.
      "Why am I needed?" She asked at last.
      "For reasons unknown to me, though I do not doubt that they are noble and right. I do my king's bidding without question. So should you," returned the young man briskly. No trace of any emotion showed in his face.
       Abigail pondered his words. Honesty rang in his voice, and she felt she could trust him. Yet her family would never know... When she spoke it was with hesitancy, fearing he would refuse. "I will come with you if I can get word to my family. They must know why I do not return. We've already lost my father; I cannot leave without telling them. We are a family." Her last words came out as a sob, much to her regret. But the tall rider did not refuse.
      "Very well, I will send Silvren. He has his own way of communicating, which is generally very effective. Silvren!" he called out quickly, and the little dog stepped forward attentively. "Go with all speed to the home of the lady Abigail and bear the news to her family. Comfort them as best you may, and assure them of her safety." As he finished, the dog dashed back down the trail and was lost in the shadows in an instant.
      "Now, lady," and the young man reached down to pull her up in front of him. She accepted the hand, and before she had time to think, was seated in the saddle with no effort on her part. He reached around her and picked up the reigns.
      "Wait- what shall I call you, please?" Abigail asked quickly.
      "My name is Ablier," he returned just as quickly. "Now, we must make haste." And with that, he spurred the horse back over the foothills.
       Never slowing, they sped through the pass- into the mountains. Disconcerted, Abigail was a stranger to adventures of any sort, and she looked back to catch a fleeting glimpse of her valley, her home, and wondered if she would ever see it again. She clung, trembling, to the mane of the horse, though indeed, she seemed in no danger of falling, so firmly did Ablier support her. On and on they raced, giving Abigail only blurred glances of the beauty of the mountains she had always longed to see. Towering waterfalls they passed, plunged through luscious green undergrowth, galloped across cliffs of a dizzying height. Ever farther they traveled. Yet still the sun glowed on the brink of the horizon. It was to defy time, to ride the pure white stallion. When the sun did set, it was not at all gradual, and then they continued their journey in darkness. The young horseman knew this land well, or his horse did. Abigail began to wonder when, if ever, they would stop.

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I was awarded the new Lovely Friend award by PoeticMaiden. Thank you so much, Cherise!

It was so hard to decide whom to award. After much thought, I settled on these bloggers, who truly are lovely friends:

Crochetcrazy. Renee is such a sweet blogger, and I am also blessed to know her in real-life! Her posts are always wonderful and she shines Christ in every word she types! Thank you for being a lovely friend, Renee!

Melarooski. Melanie is also my real-life friend, and I'm so happy to know her! She is moving up to Washington St. in May, and I'll miss her sorely, but at least I'll be able to keep up with her on HSB! I love reading her posts, which are always very amusing! Love ya, Mellie!

AuthorElf. It is not often that you know someone who is both a good friend and a good writer. Cyrilla is both. This future published author is one of the first bloggers I knew on HSB- before I signed up I used to comment on her blog! Apparently she bore it very easily, though I confused her, no doubt!

SincerelyAmanda. I'm so grateful to have this talented young lady as my friend. She is encouraging and sweet and I love reading her blog. She just finished a screen play script, which inspires me, because I've always wanted to do something like that!

Desi. Sarah is another of my personal friends! I just couldn't resist awarding them all! She absolutely adores horses and posts interesting facts about them. When I talk with her in person, she talks about lots more than horses, though, and it's so fun to be with her!

Oh, that was so hard! I could have awarded so many more people. All of my friends are lovely! I doubt the guys would appreciate this award, though! Someone should make a more masculine award for them!

Adios, friends!

~Grace

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Apr. 9, 2008 - Sing me to Heaven...

Mara Aure, my friends! (Thank you Uruviel, for your knowledge of Elvish!)

Well, I decided to share with you the meaning of my blog title, because it does have a meaning, and, no, I didn't make it up!

Sing me to Heaven is the title of a song, actually, which I first heard when I was 10, and have been drawn to ever since. I especially love music with a sense of mystery and longing, plus a gorgeous melody line! This song is such a piece of music. I love everything about it; the music itself, the lyrics, the title... I could go on about it for paragraphs, but I think it's best to let you judge for yourself. Here is a banner I found with some of the lyrics. I put it on my sidebar, but you can't exactly read the words, it's so small. So here it is, bigger!

If you would comfort me, sing me a lullaby.

If you would win my heart, sing me a love song.

If you would mourn me and bring me to God, sing me a requiem,

Sing me to heaven.

I believe it may be sung by somebody dying, but that's not the point, since we're not trying to be practical! ;-) The lyrics are still lovely. Anyway, it's an absolutely beautiful song. Here's a recording of it, sung by a very good choir. I encourage you to listen to it and enjoy this piece as I have!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMfDqfKSM54

EDIT: I had to remove the embedded video because it made my page look horrible on Firefox. If anyone has any tips on how to embed YouTube vids with Firefox, please let me know! Thanks.

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I was tagged by Striker:

1.Favorite color: Blue

2.Least favorite color: Well, probably burnt orange. I have nothing against the Longhorns, mind you. Although my dad went to A&M.

3.Color of pants: This is a strange question. Are you asking what color I prefer pants to be, or what color my pants are, or what color all pants are in general?

4.Color of shirt: Another strange question. My current shirt has pink and green stripes, if you really want to know.

5.Color of favorite CD: The lable is gold and the bottom is silver.

6.Color of dream car: I'd be happy to drive our blue van, thanks.

7.Color that you want your mom to dye her hair: Well, I would prefer my mom's hair to stay living.

8.Color of computer: Black and silver.

9.Color of best friends brother's eyes: I'm sorry. I really don't notice such things. My baby brother's eyes are blue, and I guess my sisters are my best friends!

10.Color of dream pet: I don't dream of having any particular pet. So sorry.

11.Color of phone/ipod: My phone/ipod is nonexistent.

12.Color of the last thing you ate: Brown. Chocolate ice cream!

13.Find what color you answered with the most: Blue

EDIT: Rats, I forgot to tag people. I tag... everyone who has freckles.

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On another 'note', Jocelyn Dixon at A Pondering Heart has posted this week's Homeschool Carnival! I registered my last post, and there are a lot of other great homeschool-related links, so go on and check it out!

Namarie...

~Grace

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Apr. 3, 2008 - A Conference and an Award

What is homeschooling about? Why do we take our children out of the public school system and raise them ourselves?

This is a question that I fear may not be asked regularly enough among homeschooling families. I spent the last three days with over a hundred faithful families who are commited to following God's Law and making Him the center of their homes. These parents have the hearts of their children; the children eagerly serve their parents and each other. Smiles flow freely - no sarcastic glances or indifferent attitudes preside. The women glow with graciousness, the men are noble and strong, and all are rejoicing in each other. They obviously are not 'missing out' on life, or 'unsocialized'. They are not confined to the home, for they are eager to share with the world the peace and joy they have found in Christ. How different this is from the typical culture of today!

However, these are not the average homeschooling families. In fact, among the wide-spread homeschooling community, there is a danger of losing the vision. Christians are commanded by God to disciple their children; to walk with them by day, to teach them the Word of God when they lie down at night. In short, the Bible commands us to homeschool! Yet many lose sight of this fact. Far too many rely only on curriculum, and their reason for homeschooling is to help their kids get a higher IQ. Some parents may have had a bad experience with the government schools. All these reasons are fine and good, but we must never forget that we homeschool in an act of obedience to God, and our purpose is to raise up children of promise. Homeschooling is not our ticket to heaven - no amout of 'good deeds' can save us, and any of them, if performed outside of Christ, will ultimately fail. Without Christ we have no hope of regaining this vision of multi-generational faithfulness. But with His blessing all things are possible.

If any of you have never been to a Vision Forum conference before, I must say you are missing out! Last Friday- Sunday our family attended The 200 year plan; a practicum on multi- generational faithfulness. Led by Doug Phillips and Geoff Botkin, the purpose of this weekend was to solidify the family and to teach men to consider the next 200 years of their family line. Where will your family be in 200 years and what kind of an influence will you have made on the world? was the basic question. I enjoyed this weekend so much, and I was emboldened and inspired to do my best in keeping our family faithful throughout the generations. If you'd like to learn more and see pictures, go to Mr. Phillip's blog here. Or you can take a look at the conference CD with the recordings of all the talks!

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I was awarded by BookLover! Thank you!

Basically everybody on HSB has this already, but I'm going to try to find a few people to pass it on to!

I award: TruthSeeker. This is AuthorElf's political blog, and her posts are wonderful reminders to be grateful to those who protect our freedom. She has a talent for stirring up the patriotic spirit, which too often lies dormant.

And Hriste. This young lady is a newer blogger, yet she's still been around longer than me! I've enjoyed reading her poems and funny stories, and did I mention she's Elvish?

And musicallyspeaking. Knowing Toni personally, I especially love reading her blog and seeing the references to people I know! But this talented young woman's blog deserves the award anyway!

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I'm so sorry I haven't posted any of my writing yet! I PROMISE it's coming soon!

~Grace

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Mar. 27, 2008 - A Sonnet

I'm sure you all think another entry is due, and I happen to agree! I give you a sonnet that I wrote a couple weeks ago. Not very good, I fear, but it was my first attempt at a sonnet. I'll improve. Don't think I will always post poetry- I wanted to post some of my other writing today, but the excerpts I was considering needed revision, so I'll work on that this week and *hopefully* post it next week. I'm also working on posting some of the recordings I've made of my singing, but I'm still trying to get past the html barrier! Look for them eventually.

Of Loyalty

Tense, restless stallions paw their feet and blow,
And seasoned warriors clench the cold sword hilt.
Even the bravest make themselves breathe slow.
They contemplate the fortress, strongly built.
Each warrior knows this ride may be his last.
His last attempt to rally for his king.
Each is aware that when the trumpet blasts,
His wish will be to die or do this thing.
"Seize it!" the royal words rise on the air.
Striking courage into the hearts of all.
Their king has faith in them, and so they'll dare
Before the night is gone to scale the wall.
They have no fear, though death this night may bring.
They willingly will die to serve their king.

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Here is a beautiful piece of music you might enjoy- sent to me by a person who is normally very critical of music and only accepts the best. But he shockingly doesn't like Handel!!! So this is for all you classical music lovers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0JYhnx3Jj6w

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I'll be going to a Vision Forum conference this weekend, so I'll (sadly) be absent for a few days. I'll be back on Monday.

Thank you all for being so welcoming- I never guessed I should receive 70 comments in 3 entries! Y'all really are amazing! (Yes, I do say y'all quite a lot here in Texas!)

~Grace~

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Mar. 19, 2008 - ~My Favorite Things~

~My Favorite Things~

Raindrops on roses and snow-laden pine trees,

Wind as it swells and then slows to a soft breeze,

Intricate patterns in Celtic designs,